Raffaele Trapani

History

Raffaele TRAPANI (1780-1840) was born in 1780 and died in 1840 in Naples, Italy. He was active as a maker in Naples around 1810, with his working period also cited as 1800 to 1826. His work is noted for its distinctive personal model and stands outside the mainstream Neapolitan school.

Craft

• Workmanship: Sources contain conflicting information regarding the overall quality of his work. Henri Poidras describes his work as 'Careless work', while Cecie Stainer notes it as 'good and original in character'. Willibald Leo Lütgendorff states the 'Arbeit ist im Übrigen gut' (the work is otherwise good), and Karel Jalovec mentions he 'worked skilfully'. John Dilworth describes 'Very finely finished craftsmanship'.
• Model: His instruments are generally on a large pattern or form, with a flat model according to George Hart, and a full arch of medium height inspired by Maggini, as noted by John Dilworth.
• Edges and Purfling: Descriptions consistently mention prominent, strong, or broad edges. Cecie Stainer notes 'prominent edges, and heavy purfling'. George Hart describes 'edges sharp; purfling deeply laid'. John Dilworth details 'Broad edges with deeply sunk channel and neat purfling'. Lütgendorff also mentions 'stark hervortretenden Ecken und guter Einlage' (strongly protruding corners and good purfling).
• Scroll: The scroll is frequently described as heavy and reminiscent of the Brescian type or school. John Dilworth provides further detail, stating the scroll is 'neatly and concentrically turned, with an extended final curl behind the small eye'. He also notes the absence of a conventional throat, with the pegbox arriving abruptly at the front of the volute, and the flutings of the pegbox cut almost square with a flat-bottomed channel turning sharply up to a flat chamfer at the edges.
• Varnish: The varnish is generally described as thick and of a red or red-brown colour. Cecie Stainer notes it as 'rather thick and of a red-brown colour'. Henri Poidras mentions 'thick red varnish'. Karel Jalovec states he 'used a red or red-brown varnish'. John Dilworth describes 'Excellently applied clear varnish of golden-brown to orange-red colour'.
• Soundholes: The soundholes are often criticized for their appearance. Henri Poidras states they are 'entirely lacking grace'. Lütgendorff finds the F-holes, which he makes pointed, 'geradezu hässlich' (downright ugly). Karel Jalovec describes them as 'tapering sound-holes of unseemly cut'. John Dilworth notes them as 'Rather stiff widely-spaced soundholes, sometimes with the wings not separated from the upper and lower edges'.
• Wood: John Dilworth notes that Trapani 'Often used very finely flamed maple'.
• Unique Features: John Dilworth highlights that 'The edge of the back turns inward at the top button forming a small raised triangular platform'. Many of his characteristics, such as the pegbox and soundholes, seem to be a conscious effort to strengthen vulnerable areas in classical violin models.
• Best Instruments: Karel Jalovec states that his 'Best are his 'cellos'.

Influence

• School/Tradition: His scroll and overall style are noted to be of the Brescian type or school.
• Inspiration: His full arching was inspired by Maggini.
• Departure: His work is explicitly stated by John Dilworth to stand 'outside of the mainstream Neapolitan school'.

Further Information

• Labels: His labels include 'Raffaele Trapani, Napoli, No. —.' and 'Raffaele Trapani / Napoli 1815 No.8.'
• Description by Vannes: Vannes describes Raffaele Trapani as an engineer.

Summary

Raffaele TRAPANI was a Neapolitan violin maker active in the early 19th century, known for his distinctive and original approach to instrument making. While some sources describe his workmanship as 'careless', others praise it as 'good' and 'finely finished'. He favored a large pattern with prominent edges, heavy purfling, and a scroll reminiscent of the Brescian school. His varnish was typically thick and red-brown, and his soundholes were often considered lacking in grace. Trapani's work, which included highly regarded 'cellos, consciously departed from the mainstream Neapolitan tradition, incorporating features seemingly designed to strengthen classical violin models.